Exclusive: Bronx church opens resource center through Archdiocese
The Catholic Education and Family Center will be a centralized location for local families to receive assistance extending beyond the scripture.
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St. Philip Neri in the Bronx is unveiling a new era with help from the Archdiocese of New York, opening a resource center for the community.
The church, built in 1898, has been a pillar in the northwest Bronx since its conception, opening a school in 1913. Now, a new pilot program in the borough is hoping to introduce a new model to Catholic education.
“The family center will provide counseling through Catholic charities, health services through Arch Care, including things like dental screening, diabetes screening,” said Daniel O’Reilly, pastor at St. Philip Neri. "We will have not just religious ed classes for the students and the kids in the neighborhood but also for parents."
The Catholic Education and Family Center will be a centralized location for local families to receive assistance extending beyond the scripture. The center is part of a grander revitalization project that will upgrade parts of the school, making it more environmentally friendly and helping bring the parish into the 21st century.
“This is a great opportunity to write the next chapter for Catholic schools, for them to evolve to meet the needs of New York for the next 50, 100, 200 years,” said Rob Gittings, interim executive director for the Catholic Education and Family Center.
The center is set to open in September.
